Sashara:

Name: Sashara
True Name: Sashara
Alignment: Unprincipled / Aberrant
Hit Points: 71 S.D.C. (Physical): 164
Attributes: I.Q.: 15, M.E.: 19 (+2), M.A.: 26 (88%), P.S.: 39 (+24), P.P.: 28 (+7), P.E.: 26 (+22% / +6), P.B.: 18 (40%), Spd.: 43 [Strength and Endurance are supernatural]
Weight: 174 lbs (78.9 kg) Height: 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 meters)
Age: 27 years Race: Wampyr (Was Human) Sex: Female P.P.E.: 5
Disposition:
Life was hard on Sashara in many ways and she believed that her best chance was to only depend on herself. She was interested in any specific causes except her own survival once she no longer had the hope of rescuing her parents. One of her most determined drives is to never be a victim again. That drive helped to get rid of the peasant speech which had original. She never was vindictive of extremely hateful but just a bit on the callous side. She detested nobles but they were often who hired her so she masked that feeling. Still, she always believed that a soldier or mercenary should have a code which they follow.
Before becoming a Wampyre, she had no real care one way of the other about vampire. She had heard tales about they but never expected to meet with them. As might be expected, she now has a hatred for them. In many ways, she is still warring with herself about her new abilities. She secretly revels in that she is far tougher and stronger than she was ever before but is guilty about having to consume human blood to survive. The problem is that she has always survived on human blood, the spilling of it although not the drinking of it. As well, she feels she was a victim of the vampires
O.C.C.: Mercenary Fighter Experience Level: Fifth (5)
Combat Skill: Hand to Hand; Expert and Boxing
Attacks per Melee: Six (6)
Bonuses, Combat: Critical Strike: Natural 20 Knock Out: Natural 20 Bonuses: Damage: +24, Strike: +9, Parry: +12, Dodge: +12, Roll: +5, Pull Punch: +4, Initiative: +1
Damages (Supernatural): Punch: 6D6, Restrained Punch: 2D6, Power Punch: 2D4x10. Damage is added to martial art attacks and weapon attacks.
Bonus; Save: Lethal Poison [14] +6, Non-Lethal Poison [16] +6, Harmful Drugs [15] +6, Insanity [12] +2, Psionics [10] +2 (+7 vs Mind Control), Magic [12] +6 (+11 vs Mind Control), Horror Factor +9
Wampyr Abilities/Vulnerabilities:
Abilities:
Super Regeneration: Has the same super regeneration as vampires and can heal 2D6 S.D.C./Hit Points per melee round.
Invulnerabilities and Bonuses: Take half damage from metal weapons but none of the normal vampire invulnerabilities. Character also has +1 on initiative, +3 to perception rolls, +5 to save vs Horror factor, +5 to save vs Mind Control and possession, and is immune to vampire mind control powers.
Knowledges: Instinctively knows all the strengths and weaknesses of true vampires, even the ones that do not effect Wampyrs.
Psychic Powers: I.S.P. 119 + 8 per level, Considered a Master Psionic
Sensitive Abilities: Empathy (4), Presence Sense (4), Sense Evil (2), Sixth Sense (2), Suggestion (2), Telepathy (4)
Physical Abilities: Alter Aura (2), Bio-Manipulation (10), Death Trance (1), Mind Block (4), Telekinesis (Varies)
Healer Abilities: Deaden Pain (4), Induce Sleep (4)
Vulnerabilities:
Has Blood Dependancy: Character must drink one pint (about .5 liters) of blood every three days. Going without will result in the feeding frenzy but will not start until after the first week and it takes three days to aggravate the state.
Vulnerable to sunlight: When exposed to direct sunlight, character will take 2D6 points of damage for every minute (4 melee) of exposure. Getting into a shadowed area allows their regeneration to kick in and heal the damage. By running in and out of shade, a Wampyr can operate in sunlight. This is however very painful. Those suffering from sun exposure loose one attack per melee round, are at -1 on all combat rolls, -2 on initiative and perception, and is -20% on all skill rolls. These penalties also apply when in shade or underground during the day.
O. C. C. Skills: Physical: Athletics (General), Climb / Scale Walls (+10%) 70%, Hand to Hand (Expert), Technical: Language: Southern (Native) 98%, Language: Eastern (+10%) 70%, Language: Elven (Dragonese) (+10%) 70%, Weapon Proficiencies: W.P. Polearm (+2 to damage, +2 [+11] to strike, +2 [+14] to parry), Shield (+1 [+10] to strike, +2 [+14] to parry), Spear (+3 [+12] to strike, +3 [+15] to parry, +1 [+12] to throw), Sword (+2 [+11] to strike, +2 [+14] to parry, +1 [+10] to throw), Wilderness: Wilderness Survival (+10%) 60%
O. C. C. Related Skills: Espionage: Detect Ambush (+5%) 55%, Intelligence (+5%) 51%, Track Humanoids (+5%) 50%, Medical: First Aid 50%, Military: Field Armorer (+5%) 55%, Rogue: Streetwise (+4%) 40%, Technical: Literacy: Elven (Dragonese) [Gained at Third Level] (+10%) 50%, Literacy: Southern (Native) [Gained at Third Level] (+10%) 50%, Lore: Demon and Monster (+10%) 55%, Wilderness: Land Navigation 46%, Wilderness Survival 50%.
Secondary Skills: Physical: Body Building [Gained at Fifth Level], Boxing, Running, Wrestling [Gained at Fifth Level], Rogue: Prowl 45%, Weapon Proficiencies: Targeting/Missile Weapons (+2 [+12] to throw, +1D6 damage to Spears and +1D4 to Javelins)
Background (Slave Farmer) Skills: Domestic: Cook (+4%) 54%, Wilderness: Identify Plants and Fruit (+4%) 49%, Preserve Food (+4%) 59%
Appearance:
Sashara's most remarkable feature is flaming red hair which has become even more pronounced with her skin becoming much paler since her transformation into a Wampyr. When worn free, her hair hangs down to her waist. It is one of her concessions to femininity she adopted after dropping her male persona. Of course she often braids it up while she is on the stalk. She has a strong angular face although she is far from being unattractive. She has bright green eyes which seem to lock onto anyone around. For cosmetics, Sashara wears little more than bright red highlights on her lips. Even though she has disguised herself as a male in the past, she has a reasonable figure although she is extremely muscular for a woman. She is also extremely tall for a woman, being over six feet in height.
The mercenary Wampyr prefers heavy armors, especially plate armor. She has a set of black plate armor with gold chasing which was specially commissioned for her. On her back, Sashara wears a heavy bladed two handed sword. She is rarely seen outside of her armor, feeling almost naked in a tunic and skirts she considers extremely restrictive.
Magical Weapons:
Magic Claymore: Weight: 6.5 lbs (2.9 kg) Length: 4.0 feet (1.2 m)
Commissioned by her as a magical sword for fighting vampires. Blade of sword is black. It is of the highest quality by Dwarven construction; +3 (+17) to parry, +2 (+13) to strike, +4 to damage, and +2 to initiative. Enchantments: Additional Damage (1D6), Indestructible, and Vampire Slayer (double damage to vampires and reduced regeneration)
Damage: 4D6+4 (+6D6+24 for strength / double damage to vampires)
Non-Magical Weapons of Note:
12 Silver Tipped "Saunion" Spears: Weight: 1.8 lbs (0.8 kg) each Length: 1.2 feet (1.2 m) Throwing spears. Dwarven Quality +1 (+12) to strike, +2 (+14) to throw) +1 (+16) to parry, +2 to initiative, and +4 to damage. Weapons are carried in a quiver carried on the back.
Damage: 1D8+1 (+1D6 for WP: Targeting.)
Armor, Magical:
Enchanted Plate Armor The armor is black with silver inlaid designs and is extremely well crafted. Commissioned by her. In addition to enchantments, the armor is reinforced with additional armor and is Dwarven forged for extra strength. The armor is enchanted to be weightless (weighing only about 1 oz and prowl penalties are reduced by half [-5% to prowl]). The plate armor has an A.R. Rating of 18 and 452 S.D.C. The armor magically repairs itself at the rate of 10 S.D.C. per hour. Enchantments: Armor Rating Enhancement, Color, Magical S.D.C., Weightless, Regenerating Armor.
Magical Items:
Cloak of Shadows: The wearer is difficult to see in shadow, but even in lighted area the character moves silently and unobtrusively like a shadow; +20% to prowl
Ring of Invisibility: Can turn wearer invisible for a maximum of Three times of 10 minutes each day. Treat as invisibility simple.
Other Equipment: Standard Equipment for OCC, 20 wooden stakes
Money: 1,600,000 gold

History:

Sashara's parents were tied to the land, slave farmers like their parents were before them. The subject of cruel masters within the Land of the South Winds. They were complete subject to those above them. Food was always hard to come by and many of those around them died from starvation. The masters above them took the lion's share of what ever they managed to grow and left little for their slaves to eat.

In spite of the conditions Sashara grew up in, she grew to be both tall and strong. The girl was able to steal an extra morsel of food her and there. She always wanted something beyond being a slave. Somehow her parents managed to keep her from being branded as a slave. Maybe her parents saw her as a way out of their own impoverishment.

War descended on the land which she lived. Two local lords went to war with each other on just who owned the lands which their slaves tilled. Farmers were drafted as soldiers and both sides hired mercenaries. They were an amazing sight. Dressed in armor, tall figures carrying swords and spears. Except for those drafted by the lords, none of the slaves were permitted weapons.

Sashara decided to run away and join one of the companies. It never really mattered to her which one she joined. Armies always need fodder for the enemy's spears. The companies would not have passed muster in many lands, ragtag outfits with little quality to them. The officers had little care who lived or died because there was an inexhaustible source of recruits. Many of the other troops were escaped farm slaves and serfs looking for a better life. Equipment was poor compared to that of better mercenary companies and medical care was virtually non existent as well.

She was as tall as most boys her age and had dressed up as a boy. Historically, many women and girls have dressed as men to join militaries. No one though anything of her besides another recruit, another illiterate peasant. She made her mark and she was a member of the company. Luck or fate, the girl survived her first several battles and began to be taught the way of battle by those with more experience. Battle is also an extremely efficient teacher. Either you learn quickly or you die.

Eventually the war ended, neither side really winning. The people who considered themselves the officers of the company simply disappeared when the conflict ended, leaving their soldiers with no money and no other prospects as well. The soldiers scattered to the four winds with Sashara, still in her male persona, finding herself in a bar as a peacekeeper, trying to figure where to go next. Maybe try and find another mercenary company.

A group of adventurers appeared in the bar before she had been there for very long. They were planning an expedition into the Old Kingdom mountains and their had just lost a soldier in their company and needed a replacement. They did not have a lot of money, having used virtually all of it in outfitting the company.

She overheard parts of their conversation and volunteered. Desperate for anyone to join, they accepted her and she was given the dead soldier's gear as the only form of payment initially. It was far better than anything she had before and to her, it was worth a fortune. None of it was new but it was all serviceable. Chain mail instead of crude leather, a good quality steel sword, and even a good shield.

Many groups come back from the Old Kingdom mountains with nothing and quite a few never come back at all. The wealth which the adventurers dreamed of finding never came to pass but they were more successful than most. They were able to find some relics from the times when the world was ruled by Elves and were able to sell them to scholars. The scholars probably robbed the adventurers blind but they still got more than most. Sashara got a share along with more seasoning, fighting Orcs and other creatures who inherited the old Elven lands.

The group scattered after that but Sashara soon joined another adventuring group. She allowed her hair to grow longer and no longer hide in a male persona. Some of her companions liked the "adventure" of having a mercenary woman as a lover. She also reinvented herself to a large extent, ridding herself of the peasant speech and adopting almost a merchant speech style. Some of the group which she traveled with had some remarkable successes, one finding an extremely valuable magic item. Dwarven crafted weapons and armor replaced her old equipment and she learned how to read and write from her companions.

Eventually she headed where had once been her home. She finally had enough gold to set her parents in comfort. Unfortunately, luck was not with her and the hut which she had been born was in ruins. She tried to ask some of the other slaves what had happened but they reacted in fear to her, having changed to a completely different woman in the years which she had been gone. Her speech now was that of an outsider and outsiders were to feared.

A patrol came upon her, maybe called by one of the farm slaves or maybe just more bad luck. She ended up fighting them and slaying two of them. Attempting to outrun the death verdict which was sure to come, she beat a hasty retreat and say goodbye to the Land of the South Winds. She caught a ship to more northern lands.

Over the next few years she continued her adventuring. It was what she knew and she never had any taste for banditry. She also hired herself out as a guard a few days and got to know the ways of the larger cities. Cities have their own share of problems including a whole host of criminal elements your rarely see outside them.

Her whole life then changed. A local lord's daughter was kidnaped by unknown attackers and she was hired along with several others to rescue the girl. At least the lord claims that the attackers were unknown although she now wonders if the lord did not know. It turned out that the kidnappers where a group of vampires and they had already turned the lord's daughter into one of them.

Cold steel was of little use against the vampires and the whole group of rescuers was soon captured. The single wizard in the group was still extremely young and was caught completely off guard. The vampires fed off their prisoners while trying to decide what to do with them. They especially took pleasure in their newly created vampire feeding from her rescuers. Eventually they decided that it would be good sport to turn one of them into a vampire and watch the new vampire feed on the others in bloodlust. Sashara, being the only female in the group, was chosen.

Something happened. She did not become a vampire but instead became something else. A half vampire. She slew two of the four vampires within seconds of her transformation, taking them by surprise. The other two, including the transformed daughter of the lord, escaped into the night. Sashara does not know what happened to them to this day. She freed the others but they would have nothing to do with her.

It was then that she became a vampire hunter. Even though she has only been a Wampyr a relatively short time, she now inhabited the same world as they did and few could hunt them as well as she could. Beside there are few who hate Wampyrs more than true vampires and she found herself often going against the minions of Vald-Tegor. The church is often extremely wealthy and she was able to finally afford to purchase several magic items. Much of her time has also gone into trying to prevent the church from managing to acquire some extremely deadly magic items dedicated to the church.

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Image created and copyrighted by Brian Brinlee.

More Brian Brinlee artwork at Fantasy Art of Elfwood .

Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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